My Top 10 Online Marketing Tips for 2018

The power of online marketing cannot, and should not, be ignored. Advances in technology now shape every aspect of our daily interaction. There has never been a better time to focus your efforts on executing an online marketing strategy.

Whether you are looking to have a new website professionally built, review your current digital activity or start engaging through social media, I have provided my top 10 online marketing tips below to help take your strategy to the very next level.

1. Develop an Online Marketing Strategy
Running an online campaign without a coherent strategy in place is a bit like setting off on a journey without any direction. If you do not have a clear and focused plan in place, how can you expect the campaign to make an impact or to measure meaningful results or ROI? Set aside the time to plan a clear strategy that will underpin business growth and campaign success.

2. Take advantage of Social Media Channels
With a variety of platforms available, social media is a great way to engage with both existing and prospective customers whilst simultaneously promoting your brand and sector expertise. Social media is quick, interactive and engaging. Once your accounts are in place, remember to consistently update them and never leave them inactive for too long as this will decrease levels of customer loyalty and brand recognition.

3. Assess the potential of AI TechnologyThere are now 100k chatbot developers who have built 100k active bots on the Facebook Messenger Platform. That’s up 233% from the 30k bots on Messenger in 2016. As more bots continue to be developed more businesses are sure to see an increase in sales and productivity. With 1.2 billion active monthly users on Facebook Messenger, it’s easy to see the value businesses can gain by having a Messenger bot. Brands are now capable of reaching the entire Facebook world. Message me for details of the ones I have trialed, and use today.

SnapTravel is one such company that has found success with their Facebook Messenger bot. Since using it SnapTravel has seen $1 million in hotel bookings in less than a year. Accessing SnapTravel through Facebook Messenger is easy because you don’t need to download an app. Users can directly message SnapTravel via Messenger to find a desirable hotel to book. All you have to do is send the bot a private message with your basic travel information, such as your destination, dates, and budget. The bot will then respond immediately with a number of options. The hotel rates quoted by SnapTravel are similar to what you’ll find on any of the big search websites, such as Expedia or Kayak. This is because SnapTravel is connected to dozens of online travel agents and can find the best possible price currently available on the market. When it quotes a rate, it will also show you the best available rate on Hotels.com for comparison. Very clever, very effective.

4. Become Mobile Friendly
Studies now show that more than half of the British public prefer to do a task digitally if they have the choice, using on average 3.4 internet-connected devices – therefore it’s important to ensure your online marketing is responsive and compatible across a variety of devices. This will increase your brand credibility, ensuring visuals and content are consistent. More than 60% of all web traffic is now viewed on a mobile device compared to a desktop PC. If your website is not responsive on mobile devices then it’s highly likely you are losing 60% of potential new customers every day. Contact me for a Free Website Review where I can tell you how effective or ineffective your website is.

5. Produce Engaging Content
Creating engaging content is key in today’s high-paced world. With the attention span of today’s population being seven seconds, visual marketing is a highly effective way of storytelling, helping to attract and captivate your customers and prospects through digital media.

6. Use Clear Call-To-Actions
What do you want your customers and prospects to do next? If you’re sending out a social media update or email marketing communication, have you thought about where you want to direct them? For example, do you want them to call, email or visit your website?

7. Be Consistent with your Messaging
Your digital marketing activity should be integrated into your overall marketing plan and used as a tool to achieve key objectives and goals. A good digital marketing strategy should accurately portray your brand, key messages and target your core audiences, whilst simultaneously ensuring synergy with other marketing activities.

8. Review your Presence on Google
Google is constantly evolving, and how your company is ranked in terms of searches is important to consider. A good way to test this is through thinking about the search terms prospective customers might use – where do you rank in these searches? How can you improve this?

9. Don’t be afraid to do Email Marketing.
Email marketing is a great tool for instantly putting your brand in front of customers who know what you are and what you do. It’s an important part of brand awareness and recognition. Email marketing is a vital part of targeted campaigns – meaning you aren’t spamming all your customers with information they aren’t interested in

10. Analyse, analyse, analyse!
Finally measure the effectiveness of your digital marketing. Most social media and email marketing channels provide analytical tools that report on the reach and engagement of your campaigns. Google Analytics is also a great, FREE tool and an easy way to monitor visitors to your website.

Another tip I will give, from more of a general business perspective, is that you should offer MORE VALUE to your customers than before. Value is not just about pricing, but also about the extra education and service you can give your customers for free. If you price-match you may lose the sale because the other company has a more friendly persona that appeals to the customer.

Get some free advice on your current online marketing issues, contact me today.